Ellie AlexanderDirector of Tourism, City of Pontiac“Enhancing Tourism's Potential”Through a timeline of photos and stories,
Ellie will discuss Pontiac's road to successfully building
their tourism product.

Ellie Alexander has been the Director of Tourism for the City
of Pontiac, Illinois since 2005 after serving in various
chamber of commerce and hospitality industry positions,
primarily in the Chicago-land area. Ellie is a Certified
Travel Industry Specialist and serves on the board of the
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, and the Route 66 Red Carpet
Corridor Committee.

In her current position, Ellie has been the driving force
behind the remarkable growth in tourism in the City of
Pontiac. Pontiac has seen its visitor count rise consistently
since the opening of their first attraction, The Illinois
Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in 2004. Ellie is
married with five adult children and seven
grandchildren. Aimee D. AwonohopayAmerican Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association
(AIANTA) Public Lands Partnerships Manager“American Indians and Route 66: Stories Untold”

Route 66 is nostalgia. Organizations like The Road Ahead and
American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) are
working to preserve that nostalgia. Embedded in Route 66
nostalgia is the story of the American Indian and how they
were impacted. This year, AIANTA published “American Indians
and Route 66,” a travel guide bringing the authentic Native
voice to the Mother Road. Learn how AIANTA is working to help
preserve Route 66 heritage through first-voice interpretation
and driving tourists to America’s most famous highway.

Aimee D. Awonohopay is the American Indian Alaska Native
Tourism Association (AIANTA) Public Lands Partnerships
Manager. Aimee is a partnerships specialist dedicated to
promoting economic development in Indian Country. She
has more than 17 years of experience in tourism, business
development, public relations, marketing, Indian gaming and
intergovernmental affairs. She began her career at her tribe’s
casino, St. Croix Casino & Hotel, in the marketing
department, serving eight years. After completing her bachelor
degree, Aimee accepted a public relations position with her
tribe, managing intergovernmental relationships and serving as
the Public Information Officer. She then returned to Indian
gaming as a Director of Marketing, developing the corporate
revenue growth model and establishing a data-driven marketing
strategy. Aimee then went on to represent the 11 Wisconsin
tribes as the Native American Tourism of Wisconsin (NATOW)
Executive Director, strengthening relationships with the
Wisconsin Governor’s Cabinet and packaging and promoting
Wisconsin’s combined cultural tribal tourism. During her
tenure with NATOW, she was also appointed by Governor Scott
Walker to serve on the Wisconsin Governor’s Council on Tourism
in 2012. Most recently, Ms. Awonohopay was elected to serve on
her tribe’s governing board, enhancing relationships to
increase tribal revenue and developing reporting systems to
improve tribal member quality of life.

Aimee is very committed to developing tourism in Indian
Country. She believes tourism can not only provide to tribal
economic development, but also help bridge gaps with the
non-Native community and maintain tribal culture for future
generations. Aimee became involved with the industry in 2008
when her tribe appointed her as their NATOW representative.
She also began a museum initiative for her tribe at the same
time, involving tribal stakeholders with various backgrounds.
Aimee realized the benefit of tourism then, seeing how much
opportunity and pride it could bring to tribes. She was
appointed to the AIANTA Board of Directors in 2013,
representing the Midwest region and advocating for tourism to
other tribal leaders and state and federal agencies. Aimee
served as the Board Secretary and Marketing Committee Chair,
leading the committee in developing the organizational
marketing message. She was very passionate about educating and
garnering support for the Native American Tourism Improving
Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, which has been introduced in
both houses of Congress and met with much enthusiasm by tribal
leaders.

Aimee is an enrolled member of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians
of Wisconsin, a descendant of the Menominee Nation and a
member of the Turtle Clan. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree
in Marketing from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
graduating with Cum Laude honors. Aimee is very devoted to her
traditional way of life, attends Midewin ceremonies and is a
member of the Big Drum Society in her home community, Maple
Plain of the St. Croix Chippewa. She is a proud and loving
auntie of 11 nieces and nephews. Aimee relocated to
Albuquerque, New Mexico, to work full time for AIANTA and
Indian Country.Joel BakerOwner of American Giants

“Muffler Men: Giants of Industry”

Joel will talk about Muffler Men Giant Fiberglass
figures made in the 60s and 70s to attract customers to
businesses. He will discuss their history and their
economic impact, as well as their recent comeback and
popularity.

Joel is a TV producer from Loveland, CO. He runs and
owns American Giants, a muffler men restoration company and
YouTube series. Daniel BruceFormer Executive Creative Director with the J. Walter
Thompson Advertising Agency“Market and Promote Your Route 66
Community/Business/Attraction”

In this workshop, Dan will offer his expertise to conference
attendees seeking professional advice on how to enhance their
efforts to market and promote their Route 66 community,
business and/or attraction. Participants in this session are
asked to prepare a brief description of their current
situation, which they will present during the session. Dan
will call upon his 30+ years of experience to engage you in
question and answer discussion designed to help identify ideas
to make whatever they are marketing/promoting more interesting
and attractive to tourists.

Dan has spent the last 30+ years invigorating brands such as
Oscar Mayer, Anheuser Busch, Kimberly Clark, Macy’s, Kraft,
and, most recently, the Illinois Office of Tourism. A
passionate advocate of Route 66, Dan has created and produced
numerous films and commercials promoting the Route as well as
the highly successful MiniAbe and “Find Something More”
campaigns for the State of Illinois.Tim Butler
Illinois State Representative“My Past, Present, and Future on Route 66”

Representative Butler will discuss his family's history on
Route 66 and his efforts in the General Assembly to ensure the
long-term viability of the Scenic Byway.

Representative Tim Butler (R-Springfield) joined the Illinois
House of Representatives in 2015. A native of Peoria, he
is the fourth-great grandson of Lewis Barker, a State Senator
from Pope County during the first four Illinois General
Assemblies. Tim is the youngest of seven children and his
parents owned a small manufacturing business.

Tim brings to the House more than 20 years of public service
working for the people of Central Illinois. He has served as
District Chief of Staff for both Congressman Rodney Davis and
former Congressman Ray LaHood. He also served as the director
of marketing for St. John's Hospital in Springfield. Tim began
his professional career working on Capitol Hill for over three
years.

Tim has been an active community volunteer for many years. He
currently serves on the boards of directors for Downtown
Springfield, Inc. and the Dirksen Congressional Center. He
assists with the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, is a
graduate of the Peoria Chamber of Commerce's Community
Leadership School, and was in Peoria's 1998 class of Forty
Leaders Under 40.

For over a decade, Tim was involved with the Springfield Road
Runners Club, serving as President and directing two of the
largest races in Central Illinois: the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Half Marathon and Abe's Amble 10k. He is the 2007
recipient of the Rod Steele National Volunteer of the Year
award from the Road Runners Club of America and is a 2011
inductee into the Springfield Road Runners Hall of Fame.

A 1990 graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in political science, Tim has lived in Sangamon
County since 1998 with his wife Wendy. He previously lived in
Logan County for over three years and has family ties to
Tazewell and Menard counties.Frank ButterfieldSpringfield Office, Director of Landmarks Illinois“Place Matters: Historic Preservation as Economic
Development”

While historic buildings, neighborhoods, and
corridors are central to Illinois tourism and Route 66, these
places are often undervalued in promoting local economic
development. This session will discuss how reinvestment
and reuse of historic places are central to economic
development and revitalization, and will educate participants
on how to use this data to be advocates for the historic
resources in their communities.

Frank Butterfield is the Springfield Office Director of
Landmarks Illinois, the statewide non-profit preservation
advocacy and education organization. Now in his fourth year
with Landmarks Illinois, Frank assists owners and local
advocates with a wide range of preservation-related support,
such as assisting with feasibility studies, coordinating
advocacy efforts, and linking building stewards with the
resources needed to help repair their historic structures.
Prior to joining Landmarks Illinois, Frank was director of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Wisconsin Field
Office. Frank has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from
Boston College and a Master of Science in Historic
Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.Bill and Jane DiazOwners, Diaz Sign Art“Public Art and the Walldogs”

Bill and Jane will discuss the history of advertising art in
the US and how the Walldogs continued that tradition and how
the Walldog movement evolved, making a big difference in the
towns that have welcomed public art into their
communities.

Bill is a graduate of Pontiac High School, Northern Illinois
University and received his masters at Penn State where he
also taught painting and drawing. Jane is a graduate of
Flanagan High School and Illinois State University and she
taught K-12 art in several local schools until joining Bill
full time in the sign business.

Bill and Jane Diaz have operated their own business on Route
66 since 1979. Their sons now are in business with them
and all four have been Walldogs since 1993, at the very first
meet. In 2009, the Diaz family helped organize a Walldog
Mural Festival in their hometown of Pontiac, Illinois, which
hosted 150 mural artists. Seventeen murals were hand
painted in only four days! Shortly after saying goodbye
to all of their Walldog friends that summer, they were awarded
the Citizen(s) of the Year award, were Parade Marshals for the
Threshermen’s Parade, and received the Illinois State Studs
Terkel Humanities Service Award. This year Bill is being
awarded the Distinguished Alumni at Pontiac Township High
School.Robert DirksEmeritus Professor of Anthropology, Illinois State
University“Route 66 Restaurants and their Attractions in McLean
County, Illinois”

Route 66 throughout its history fostered new ideas in the
restaurant industry. In McLean County, Illinois intense
competition led to some remarkable innovations, and
restaurants were quick to adopt novel concepts. This
presentation recalls some of the ways the county’s Route 66
eateries sought to distinguish themselves from the competition
and attract guests to their tables.
Robert is a native of Milwaukee, earned his Ph.D. at Case
Western Reserve University and currently lives in Chicago.

Professor Dirks has conducted research on various aspects of
food and nutrition since the 1980s. His publications include
papers in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute,
Current Anthropology, American Anthropologist, Journal of
Nutrition, and Annual Review of Nutrition. His book, Come
& Get It! McDonaldization and the Disappearance of Local
Food from a Central Illinois Community, traced a changing
American food culture from frontier days to the beginning of
the twenty-first century. His most recent book, Food in the
Gilded Age: What Ordinary Americans Ate, explores late 19th
century eating habits through the observations of the founders
of nutrition science.Herb EatonArtist“Art and Inviting People: An artist’s experience
invigorating Route 66”

Herb presents an artist’s experience in transforming and
invigorating a community by presenting the value and worth
of the ARTS and ARTISTS by making, exhibiting, performing,
selling, or offering an invitation to participate while
traveling through or stopping for a stay in a
community. The value of art-making, showing, and
offering art works for sale is the invitation to
participation. The transformational experience of Art
and Artists revaluing the area along the oldest section of
Route 66 (Main and Center streets) in Bloomington has been a
part of his experience working with others for several
decades.

For 45 years, Herb has created and designed for himself,
family, friends, and the community. He’s a guy who
likes to make things--often utilitarian things. He
also makes art and music. He opened Eaton Studio
Gallery in 2000 in a 1902 building in Historic Downtown
Bloomington on Route 66 with his wife, Pamala Eaton, to show
and sell paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints. Their
goal is to keep the ARTS ALIVE and create value in ART in
the downtown community by exhibiting and selling new and
monthly rotated work and hosting musical and theatrical
events and cultural salon discussions that focus on local
community interests and talents, and partnering and
collaborating with the people and organizations who make
this community their home.

He is presently publishing a serial blog, anachronisticanarchists.com,
a fictional compilation of words and images about developing
a reunion for modern and historical enfant terrible
artistics and an art museum for them in an old circus tent
on the prairie.

In 1984, Herb received an MFA in sculpture and drawing at
Illinois State University, He is a carpenter, instructor,
museum designer, preparator, toy designer and manufacturer,
musician, and co-founder of the Children’s Discovery Museum,
Normal. His art is in public collections of
Chugai-Upjohn Corporations, Sun Capital, State of
Illinois, St. Josephs Hospital, Advocate-Bromenn Medical
Center, Town Of Normal, Il. Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan, and
private collections locally and abroad. Cynthia M
FleischliExecutive Director of the Illinois Grape Growers and
Vintners Association“Marketing Wine & Creating a Brand for Route 66”

Cindi retired from the State of Illinois in December 2015
after 32 years of service, with 20 years in the Illinois
Office of Tourism. She is responsible for creating the
Interstate Sign Program, assisting with the Illinois National
Scenic Byway Program, the Illinois Heritage Tourism Program,
and working in the legislative office at the Illinois
Department of Transportation. She lives in Springfield, and
enjoys her new position’s responsibilities.Guy Fraker
Lincoln Expert“Lincoln Rides the Eighth Judicial Circuit to the
Presidency”

Lincoln spent almost half of
his professional life riding the circuit, part of which
Route 66 later followed. The professional and personal
friendships that he developed during this period made it
inevitable that he would be nominated for President.

Guy, an attorney in Bloomington, Illinois, is the author of
Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth
Judicial Circuit, published in October 2012, by Southern
Illinois University Press. In addition to his book, he
has written extensively and spoken across the country about
Lincoln and the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Guy has
practiced law in Bloomington in the heart of the old Lincoln
Circuit since his graduation from the University of Illinois
College of Law in 1962. He is currently serving as
Chairman of the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, the
action arm of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, a
42-county area in downstate Illinois established by act of
Congress on May 8, 2008.

He was the consultant on the award-winning PBS documentary,
“Lincoln, Prelude to the Presidency,” and co-curated
“Prologue to the Presidency: Abraham Lincoln on the
Illinois Eighth Judicial Circuit,” a traveling exhibit also
on permanent display at the David Davis Mansion, a state
historic site in Bloomington. He served as an advisor
to the National Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Guy
is a past president of the McLean County Bar
Association. His website is: www.lincolnsladder.com.Debby FunkFunks Grove Maple Sirup“Sweet Serendipity: Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup &
Route 66”

Debby will share the history of Funks Grove and sirup making
from the 1800s to present day and the impact Route 66 had on
the business.

Debby and her husband, Mike, have been farming and producing
Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup since 1988 when Mike’s parents,
Steve and Glaida Funk, retired from the farming and sirup
business. Nick Gerlich“Preserving Route 66 in Photos and Video”

The best way to document change is by means of photography and
videography. This ranges from deliberate and systematic
captures of the present, to artistic, retrospective, and
historic imagery of the abandoned and forgotten. Together,
these allow us to preserve the Mother Road for generations, if
only in electronic form. This presentation will explore how we
can use electronic media to capture the past that still
lingers in the present, by focusing on obscure alignments,
buildings, and bridges along the Route.

Dr. Nick Gerlich is Hickman Professor of Marketing at West
Texas A&M University, where he has taught since 1989. A
native Chicagoan, he recalls traveling Route 66 in the
backseat of his parents' car in the 1960s, which no doubt
inspired him to make it his passion in adulthood. He earned is
Ph.D. at Indiana University. Gerlich has more than 100
published scholarly articles in journals and conference
proceedings. His most recent research specializations include
social media, corporate crisis communication, e-commerce,
mobile applications, and online buyer behavior.

Gerlich is credited with creating and continuing to teach both
MBA and undergraduate courses in Evolutionary Marketing, in
which he explores the very latest trends in the field. While
this has often found him focusing on social media platforms
and their applications in business, he is also keenly attuned
to demographic changes, such as the buying habits of the
Millennial generation and the cultural artifacts that
differentiate them from prior generations. He spends much of
his time reading and studying about the demographic and
technological changes of the day. Gerlich routinely teaches to
both campus and online classrooms of students from all corners
of the world.

Outside of the university, Gerlich has served as the Social
Media and Marketing Director of New Mexico Fashion Week, where
he managed social media campaigns and public relations. He
created and delivers his popular Social Media Boot Camp for
small- and medium-sized businesses wishing to leverage
emerging tools and techniques.

Gerlich is an avid scholar of Route 66, has served as
historian and tour guide on several tours, and is writing
several books with a German photographer that capture the
Mother Road in an entirely new light. He is the writer and
host of the Unoccupied Route 66 documentary series, and also
partner in Sun Mesa Journeys. Gerlich is a long-time cyclist
and photographer, and is known to combine his interest so that
he can explore obscure places on two wheels, and capture them
digitally. He is also documenting and photographing vintage
neon signs across the US in an effort to capture historic pop
culture artifacts.

Gerlich can be found across the social graph (Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tumblr) via his username
nickgerlich. In addition to his academic publications, his
writing has appeared in a variety of publications, from Route
66 Magazine to New Mexico Route 66 Magazine, Amarillo
Magazine, and Skeptic Magazine.Phyllis Chandler
GreyAuthor, Educator, Travel Writer, Photographer“Passing the Route 66 Torch: Igniting the
Interest of Generations beyond the Boomers”

This presentation will look at the profile of the
Route 66 tourists through recent research gathered from
museums and other venues. It will examine what is being done
to encourage road trips by families and to educate the
youngest generations about the rich history and value of
Route 66. Cars 3 alone is not enough to keep the torch
burning brightly beyond the current generation of Baby
Boomers.

The concept of “chain of influence” will be explored along
with current progress on the children’s initiative as well
as ideas that might be implemented. We will organize a task
force and provide ways that Route 66 aficionados can be
actively involved in small ways (which collectively are
large ways) in keeping the road alive and thriving.

Phyllis is an educator, travel writer, and photographer. She
is the owner of Artist Row Publishing in the Houston area
and has authored five books. Her first two books
focused on Anna Maria Island, Florida, where she resides
part of the year. As a past teacher, reading specialist, and
guidance counselor, educating the reader is always a goal of
her work. Anna Maria Island Sunrise to Sunset included shell
and bird identification and a theme of ecological
guardianship for the nesting sea turtles and migrating birds
there. Goodnight Anna Maria Island repeated this theme for
children through aquarelles rendered from her photography.

Her third book, Route 66: In Search of Ghosts and Treasures,
was released in February, 2016. She designed a
children’s book that the parents would learn from as well.
It is illustrated in a kitschy 1950s style and covers the
Chicago to L.A. road trip of a modern family repeating
grandmother’s “best vacation ever” and spotlighting the old
and new icons.

She has embraced the initiative to share the Mother Road
with children and has visited schools in New Mexico, Texas,
and Missouri, gifting schools with books and when possible,
doing chats with the fifth and sixth graders and signing
books. The gifting has been fueled by book sales across
Route 66.

Her recent books include a World War II non-fiction, Shoo
Shoo, Baby, and a baseball guide to the colorful language of
the game, Talkin’ Baseball.Anne HaakerRetired Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency“Follow the Auburn Brick Road”

Using the ongoing preservation of the Auburn, Illinois, brick
pavement, Anne will discuss effective means of working with
transportation and economic development government agencies to
preserve the Road and its roadside attractions to encourage
tourism and enhance visitor enjoyment.

Anne recently retired as the Deputy State Historic
Preservation Officer for the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency, a position she held since 1993. This opportunity
allowed focus on the preservation of National Register
properties affected by various forms of development.
Making a career of government service was particularly
rewarding for Anne, creating the opportunity for a wealth of
experiences in the survey, preservation, and promotion of
Illinois Route 66. Anne is now a private consultant
specializing in historic preservation and the National
Environmental Policy Act. She is also the Treasurer for
the Board of Directors of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway
Association. Jim Hinckley“Route
66: Crossroads of the Past & Future”

The international interest in Route 66
provides an unprecedented economic development opportunity for
communities along that highway corridor. In this session
we will examine the international appeal of Route 66, and how
some communities are successfully harnessing the highway’s
renaissance as a catalyst for historic district revitalization
and economic development.

Jim Hinckley is the author of fourteen books, five on Route 66
specific subjects. In addition, he has made presentations on
Route 66 history, as well as economic development in the
United States, in the Netherlands, and at the First European
Route 66 Festival in Ofterdingen, Germany. He also provides
service as a marketing development consultant for companies
such as Grand Canyon Caverns, and serves as an advisor to
Kingman, Arizona, area tourism.Dave Hoekstra
WGN Radio weekend host and story finder“A Route 66 Roadtrip: the Constancy of Change”

In this session you’ll take a nostalgic trip down Route 66.
Dave will guide you on a road trip featuring various
touchpoints along the Mother Road, highlighting the unique
sense of place that the road offers its travelers. Dave’s
presentation will include images and perhaps even a little
music that reinforce the fact that the only constant along
Route 66 is change.

Dave Hoekstra presents his "Nocturnal Journal" radio program
at WGN Radio on Saturday nights. From 1985 through 2014, he
was a columnist-critic at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he won
a 2013 Studs Terkel Community Media Award. Dave has written
books about the farm-aid movement, Midwest supper clubs, and
minor league baseball. He's contributed pieces to Chicago
Magazine, the Chicago Reader, and Playboy Magazine. His newest
book is about soul food and the civil rights movement.Cheryl Eichar Jett
“Writing Popular History”

Cheryl Eichar Jett is the author of six
books published by Arcadia Publishing and is currently working
on two book projects for other publishers. A regular
contributor to The Prairie Land Buzz, Show Me
Route 66, and The 66 News, she has also been
published in Illinois Heritage (Illinois State
Historical Society), Forum Journal (National Trust for
Historic Preservation), local newspapers, and online
magazines. She has received several awards in the past year
for her short fiction.

Are we turning out “comfortable, unchallenging
nostalgia-fodder?” Or are we writing well-researched and
professionally written historical narrative? Academic authors
and popular history writers have long debated the pros and
cons between the two. Followers of popular history writing
label academic articles and books as inaccessible, full of
jargon, written for other academics, and lacking narrative.
Academics criticize the lack of depth in research, the absence
of argument and analysis, and too much personality and
narrative in popular history.

Cheryl, an academically-trained historian who has spent close
to a decade writing published popular history, applies this
debate to Route 66 and “road” history. She suggests that
popular history writing can benefit from using some academic
guidelines, while recognizing popular history's own strengths,
such as narrative and personality. Using writing examples, she
examines the differences between the two disciplines and looks
at ways to draw from both to improve our popular history
writing.

Cheryl has lived near Illinois Route 66 most of her life. She
has worked as a bookkeeper, music teacher, musician, grant
writer, and nonprofit executive director. She holds
undergraduate and master's degrees in history from Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). For her thesis, Southwestern
Indian Women in World War II, she interviewed elders in
the pueblos of New Mexico. She often presents programs in
Illinois on Route 66, local history, and writing topics. In
2002, she was invited to present a program based on her thesis
research for the Los Alamos (NM) Historical Society.

In 2000, Cheryl was a founding board member of the Illinois
Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association. Currently, she
serves on the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway board of
directors, as President of the (Illinois Route 66) Blue Carpet
Corridor Coalition, and on the advisory council for the Center
for Spirituality and Sustainability (a Buckminster
Fuller-designed geo-dome) at SIUE. In 2015, she served as
director for the first Route 66 Miles of Possibility
Conference. Cory Jobe
Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism“Leveraging Tourism to Promote Economic
Development”

Cory Jobe, who
has been the Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism
since early 2015 is a strong advocate of leveraging tourism
to promote economic development on both the local and state
scale. From the florist down the street to the bed and
breakfast across town, he recognizes how tourism connects
people to grow local businesses, puts money in the pockets
of Illinois' taxpayers and improves quality-of-life benefits
for all Illinois residents.

Cory is responsible for leading the state’s tourism industry
marketing and development efforts. Mr. Jobe works in
collaboration with tourism industry professionals to promote
visitor travel both domestically and internationally, and to
help grow the tourism industry throughout the state. Prior
to his appointment by Governor Bruce Rauner in January 2015,
Mr. Jobe was the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Illinois
Office of the Comptroller from 2011 to 2015. In addition, he
serves on the Springfield City Council as the elected
alderman of Springfield’s 6th ward, which includes tourism
attractions like the Dana Thomas House and the Lincoln Home
National Historic Site. Mr. Jobe served as leader of the
Peoples Economic Development Corporation from 2006 to 2010,
and as Director of Economic Development for the Illinois
State Treasurers Office from 1997 to 2006. Outside of work,
Mr. Jobe serves on the board of directors for the Boys and
Girls Club of Central Illinois, The Hope Institute for
Children and Families, The Phoenix Center and the
Springfield Urban League.Bill KempLibrarian, McLean County Museum of History“Preserving the Past: Basic Tips on What to Collect and
How to Preserve It”

If you're a writer, historian, genealogist, or member of a
historical society or heritage association with little or no
experience collecting and preserving historical materials,
this session is for you! Bill, librarian for the McLean County
Museum of History, will give you some much-needed pointers and
plenty of dos and don'ts when it comes to caring for
everything from photographs to correspondence.

There will also be quick asides into tips on dating
photographs and the vital role oral histories can play in
preserving the past.

Bill has served as librarian for the not-for-profit McLean
County Museum of History, Bloomington, IL, for thirteen years,
and writes a weekly Sunday feature about local history for
Bloomington’s newspaper, The Pantagraph.Greg Koos
Retired Executive Director of the McLean County Museum of
History, Bloomington, IL"Grids: Travel in a Prairie Place"

In the early years one critic observed in Illinois, there are
no roads, just places they call roads. This illustrated
presentation will cover the development of a central Illinois
road system, which ranged from dirt right of way, smoothed
with wood drags, to the four-lane Route 66 with its
one-hundred-mile-an-hour curves. And from there to the
information highway!

Greg Koos is retired executive director of the McLean County
Museum of History; his career spans over four decades.
Beginning as a part-time employee, Greg was hired full-time as
archivist and site manager (1977-1987) at the Historical
Society’s former home inside the McBarnes Memorial Building in
Bloomington. In this role, he oversaw three major historic
site development projects including the award-winning
Miller/Davis Building (1844).

In 1987 Greg became the executive director, leading the
transition and move into the Museum’s current home inside the
1903 McLean County Courthouse. That re-utilization project was
honored by the American Association for State and Local
History in 1993. Working closely with the county, Greg oversaw
the restoration of the courthouse dome which won the Landmarks
Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Award in 2005. Greg also served
as curator for multiple exhibits on local history, including
the museum’s new Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 exhibit.

Greg’s published writing includes histories of McLean County,
academic articles on the material culture of American
buildings, the Irish in the American Backcountry and articles
on museum and community relations. Greg has a B.A. in
Historic Administration from the Union Institute in
Cincinnati, Ohio. He lives in Bloomington with his wife Carol
and is currently working on a two-volume book on the history
of McLean County.Will KrauseAlderman, City of Edwardsville"Communicating Value: Route 66 and Heritage Tourism"

Alderman and preservation advocate, Will’s presentation
clarifies the relationship between heritage tourism and
economic development. Case studies will be featured in the
first half of the session to provide examples of best
practices. The second half of the session will present
firsthand advice on the challenges, strategies, and efforts
used to work with elected officials and Route 66 enthusiasts.
This session is a must to succeed in achieving your heritage
tourism goals.

Will is the Fifth Ward Alderman for the City of Edwardsville
where he is an advocate for preservation economics and
heritage tourism. He has completed several preservation-based
planning and development projects, many along the historic
Mother Road. He has worked as a preservation leader, lecturer,
and spokesperson educating local governments on the value of
reinvesting in our built environment. Krause holds an M.A. in
urban planning and development from Saint Louis University. Geoff
Ladd
Program Manager for the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway
and part-time professor at Heartland Community College“Saving and Restoring
The Mill”

Geoff formed a non-profit
organization in 2006 to save and restore The Mill
restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, at the urging of Ernie
Edwards of Pig Hip Restaurant fame. The Route 66 Heritage
Foundation of Logan County was able to save this historic
landmark located along the original alignment of Route 66
in Lincoln, and in 2017, it will be opened as a Route 66
museum and souvenir shop. The historic structure has been
awarded two National Park Service Route 66 Corridor
Preservation Program grants, and was inducted into the
Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame. Nearly
$80,000 over ten years has been raised to restore this
famous iconic attraction.

Geoff is the Program Manager for the Illinois Route 66
Scenic Byway and a part-time professor at Heartland
Community College. Ladd was the founding member and is now
secretary and past president of the Route 66 Heritage
Foundation of Logan County.

Previously, Geoff was executive director of the Abraham
Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County for over eight
years, assistant director for Jacksonville Area CVB, board
member and past president of Illinois Route 66 Scenic
Byway, and Logan County representative for Route 66
Association of Illinois. Geoff received the Route 66
Association of Illinois President's Award in 2013.

Geoff has a background in professional videography and
photography. He has been a journalist and radio
personality. He has run his own website design company and
managed an internet service company. He has Bachelor of
Science degrees in psychology and communications
(broadcasting emphasis). His hobbies include being an
aficionado of rock music, an amateur paranormal
investigator, and a Pez collector. He resides in Lincoln,
Illinois.LaWanda
Henry Matson
Writer, Researcher, Speaker“Chester
Henry: Illinois State Policeman to Route 66
Legend”

LaWanda’s
presentation will be about her father, retired Lt.
Chester Henry, Illinois State Police. He is a Route
66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame member who
spent his career on Route 66. She will also speak
about the early years of the Illinois State Police
as well as her own interest in Route 66.

LaWanda's interest began when she was a child
hearing her father's stories about his experiences
on the road. Later, as a college student, her
interest was rekindled when she took Terri Ryburn's
honors colloquium at Illinois State University on
the topic of Route 66. Since then, she has spoken at
various conferences/events, and been published in
the Route 66 Magazine, Route 66 News, and Illinois
Geographer. She also received an award for her
essay, "Life's Highway,” and has conducted oral
history interviews with several of the earliest
Illinois Route 66 Association Hall of Fame members.

LaWanda is a member of the Route 66 Association of
Illinois, the Miles of Possibility steering
committee, and serves on the Cruisin’ with Lincoln
on 66 Visitors Center Advisory Board. She is a
retired Business Analyst from State Farm Insurance,
which is also in the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame.
During her retirement she is, once again, becoming
more actively involved with Route 66. On her "bucket
list" is to travel the entire route from Chicago to
Santa Monica Pier in California.Jerry
McClanahan“The Art of
Preservation”

As a Route 66 artist Jerry frequently preserves or restores
the appearance of lost or changed Route 66 icons in his work.
This involves much research into historic appearance. Many
bygone structures are remembered only in old photos or have
been drastically modified. Jerry’s work is intended to
restore their earlier accurate appearance, or to document and
preserve how Route 66 relics appear today in an arrested state
of decay. He will discuss and illustrate the
presentation with photos of 66 sites and his artwork as he
describes what goes into researching a Route 66 historic
site. As a Route 66 map maker and author, he will
discuss researching old alignments of 66, as these cannot be
preserved if not identified. Jerry was first to
rediscover many "lost" sections of 66 such as the Jericho Gap
in TX and Upper Cajon Pass in CA. This work is ongoing.
He also provides photo reference in support of Route 66
restoration projects like the U Drop Inn, and Domingo Trading
Post.

Jerry McClanahan's fascination with Route 66 dates back to
family summer vacations during the Sixties. The interstate
highway system had all but taken over by 1981, when Jerry
began photographing and researching what was left of the old
highway. He began painting and writing about Route 66 full
time in the early Nineties, and his award- winning work has
been exhibited in shows across the country, both on and off
the route, being found in private and corporate collections in
this country and abroad.

Jerry has written extensively for the Route 66 Federation
News, American Road and Route 66 Magazine. His articles
uncovered many miles of “lost” and forgotten sections of Route
66, such as the Jericho Gap in Texas and the abandoned
alignments of the Santa Fe Loop, as well as giving honor to
many Route 66 personalities and businesses.

His acclaimed EZ 66 Guide (published by the National Historic
Route 66 Federation, www.national66.org, since 2005 and now in
the fourth edition) has helped thousands of travelers discover
the excitement of Route 66, as has the 8-state set of Route 66
maps co-created with Oklahoma Route 66 guru Jim Ross, in print
(with revisions) since 1994.
2011 brought the publication of Route 66 Sightings, a
photography tour-de-route with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham.
Jerry’s Route 66 artwork and photos have appeared in many
books and in periodicals as diverse as Historic Traveler,
Popular Mechanics, and Playboy of Brazil.

Besides painting Route 66 scenes of his own choosing, Jerry
also enjoys creating specially commissioned artwork featuring
collector's cars in Route 66 settings. He has established an
online gallery, www.mcjerry66.com, as well as McJerry’s Route
66 Gallery at 306 Manvel (a half block off 66) in Chandler,
Oklahoma, where he enjoys meeting with tourists from all over
the world.Kaleigh MooreSocial Media Manager, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway“Leveraging Social Media for Route 66 Economic
Development and Marketing”

Food and food photography is a major aspect of social media
today. Kaleigh will explore how restaurants and
businesses can leverage their mouth-watering treats on social
media to spur economic development as a powerful marketing
tactic.

In her spare time, Kaleigh writes for publications like Inc.
and Entrepreneur Magazine.Frank NorrisHistorian, National Park Service, Santa Fe, New
Mexico“Courageous Motorists: African American Pioneers on
Route 66”

The experience of black travelers along Route 66 is described,
along with their strategies for finding available
accommodations, and an assessment of the physical legacy of
accommodations that welcomed African American motorists.

The office where Frank works administers or co-administers
nine national historic trails as well as the Route 66 Corridor
Preservation Program.Deborah Carr SengerSpiritual-Medium and Co-owner, Timeless Presentations“The Other Side of Historic Entertainment on Route 66”
This session will show you how to plan, create, and market
your own historic ghost walk on Route 66 and American
Byways. You will learn to explore the Other Side of
historic entertainment in your own hometown.

Deborah has co-owned and operated Timeless Presentations in
Normal, IL, since 2008. The Spirits of Bloomington series
offers step-on and walking tours, as well as presentations and
investigations of historic and haunted Route 66 and Abraham
Lincoln sites in the Bloomington-Normal area. She has recently
introduced the Spirits of Evergreen series that includes
family-friendly or late night tours and investigations at the
Route 66’s Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, IL. She
is developing the Spirits of Normal historic ghost walk and
the 2nd Annual Haunted Tales… in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.

Deborah's innate knowledge and easy humor allow her to balance
the serious and humorous side of her metaphysical and
entertainment business. Through channeling and extensive
research and study, she is also honored to portray many
characters in history such as Mary Todd Lincoln, Helen Keller
and Route 66 icon at The Mill (in Lincoln, IL) Blossum
Huffman.

Deborah is a Spiritual-Medium, teacher, Reiki Master, speaker,
coordinator, as well as an historic actress, paranormal and
psychic investigator and author. Her educational credentials
include a Masters of Metaphysical Sciences (University of
Metaphysical Sciences) and an associate’s degree in business
management and marketing.

Deborah continues to build her entertainment business on Route
66 by integrating her love of history, haunts and personal
experiences to bring Spirits Alive on Route 66!
Arcadia/History Press is releasing her book, Haunted
Bloomington-Normal, IL, in September, as part of the Haunted
America Series. Information about her Timeless
Presentations and Event Calendar can be accessed at www.timelesspresentations.com
or www.spiritsofbloomington.com.Joe Tulley
Uptown Manager, Town of Normal &
Patricia S. Stiller, Executive Director, Downtown
Bloomington Association“Event planning for Your Community”

Joe will discuss the in's and out's and importance of
forming and maintaining successful partnerships in the
context of event planning and marketing efforts.
Patricia will speak about creating a sense of place through
collaboration; all actions work together. Empowering
citizens to engage in their community provides exponential
reward.

Joe Tulley
A Bloomington-Normal native, Joe is a graduate of Normal
Community High School, Heartland Community College, and
Illinois State University where he earned a Bachelor’s
Degree in Business Administration and an M.B.A. Joe has
worked for the Town of Normal for five years serving as the
Uptown Manager for the Town and as Managing Director of
Uptown Partners, the business association in Uptown Normal.
He plans, organizes and staffs a variety of events and
happenings in Uptown in addition to coordinating marketing
efforts and serving as the Town’s liaison with Uptown
businesses. In his spare time, Joe enjoys fishing, kayaking
and spending time with his soon-to-be wife and children.

Patricia S. Stiller
Patricia hails from the south Chicago suburbs. She and her
four siblings, the proud progeny of two elected civic
leaders, were raised with a deep appreciation and
understanding of the importance of active participation in
contributing to the quality of life within one’s
community. Since 2011, Patricia has served as the
Executive Director for the Downtown Bloomington Association,
a not-for-profit, membership based organization committed to
enhancing the vibrancy in the city’s center. Following
the revitalization guidelines established by the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, the DBA’s four working
committees plan and implement events, support business and
property owners, enhance the surroundings through
beautification and public art, and generate awareness for
the unique splendor that resonates throughout the historic
district.Fred
Walk
Retired History, Geography, and Economics Teacher“Preserving Towanda’s Piece of the Mother Road”

What to do with a 2 1/2 mile stretch of abandoned Route 66
in Towanda, Illinois? Preserve it! Students and faculty
members from Normal Community High School, Illinois State
University, as well as community members collaborated to
preserve a piece of the Mother Road . This session
highlights how a section of Route 66 was converted into a
linear Parkway and used as a learning tool to engage
students in service learning by interacting with teachers
and local community volunteers.

Fred taught history, geography, and economics for 33 years
at Normal Community High School. Fred recently retired from
Illinois State University after teaching human geography and
history-social science methodology classes that prepared
students for the teaching profession. He also served as an
academic advisor and director of student teaching for the
history department. Fred has conducted inquiry-based teacher
workshops throughout the nation for the National Geographic
Society and the Teacher Curriculum Institute. He has a
passion for preserving the abandoned stretch of Route 66 in
Towanda, Illinois, and a keen interest in all of Route 66.John Weiss“Preserving the Past for the Future”

John will discuss the historic preservation efforts in
Illinois, which he has led since 1993 as Chairman of the
Preservation Committee of the Illinois Route 66 Association of
Illinois. Along with his large group of dedicated
volunteers, he is responsible for physically restoring,
maintaining, and participating in dozens of large and small
preservation projects.

John’s passion is historic preservation. He believes that what
we are enjoying today is the history of yesterday, but what we
do today will become the history of tomorrow. He has
been actively involved with Route 66 since 1989. John
was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Association of
Illinois Hall of Fame and received the Ambassador award.
He has also been honored with the John Steinbeck award and
been inducted into the Kingman, Arizona, Walk of Fame.
John is the author of three books pertaining to Route 66. The
guide book, “traveling the…New, Historic Route 66 of
Illinois,” is the only guide of Illinois Route 66 and is now
in its 8th updated printing. Now retired, he spends his
time on preservation projects, giving talks, and conducting
bus tours of Route 66.